Nestled along North Bridge road, the pastel blue and pink exteriors of a shop is likely to stop you in your steps, make you scan through the menu right at the door, and stare with your widened eyes at the strips of pastas drying right behind the exteriors. That’s it. You are now at Tipo Pasta Bar, otherwise known as a halal Italian restaurant serving up homemade pastas. The variety of pastas may differ from day to day and it is made from scratch right at the store.
The interior boasts of a sleek, classic black wall where most of their customers are seated and pastel walls where the behind of the scenes happen. As the seats are limited in the relatively small restaurant, do come slightly before dinner time to avoid waiting in line.
At Tipo, it is time to let your creativity juices flow as you pick the type of pasta, sauce, toppings, premium toppings as well as free toppings to create your own pasta masterpiece! When I was there on a weekday evening, the two types of pasta available were Lemon Caserecce and Paprika Mafalde. Here are the steps to creating your perfect pasta – choosing size of pasta, choosing type of pasta, choosing type of sauce, choosing toppings (basic/classic/premium) and then submit your order to the counter and you are done! If the choices are stressing you out, you can also opt for their pre-set pastas which will probably stop that headache. Besides pastas, there are a few appetizers, drinks and desserts that you can add on to your meal as well.
I ordered a regular version of Lemon Caserecce in Alfredo Sauce, added caramelised cherry tomatoes, sous vide egg and white button mushrooms.
With the short pasta, it was relatively easier to eat (literally) as compared to the Paprika Mafalde which my friend had ordered. On first impression, the amount of white button mushrooms and cherry tomatoes were quite decent. The lemon taste in each pasta is subtle but has a pleasant, tangy aftertaste. The best part of having pasta is of course the texture of the pasta. Here, the pasta was cooked optimally, perfectly achieving the al dente texture which meant that each piece of pasta was firm to the bite, slightly chewy and yet not too soft till it becomes mushy. The white button mushrooms caught me by surprise with how juicy and flavourful they were. Each bite left me with an explosion of slightly smokey flavours which was a true delight. The sundried cherry tomatoes were slightly sour but still tasted decent. However, if you love your outrageously sweet tomatoes, you may not like the version here. Lastly, what makes or breaks a cream pasta dish is essentially the cream – too thick and it becomes cloying after a short while, too thin and it loses its flavour in the diluted state. The cream here lies almost exactly in between the two extremes and was not too thick. There was also just enough cream to coat each piece of pasta evenly.
If you are a big fan of pasta (like me), you would certainly enjoy the variety of homemade pastas here at Tipo. Certainly, you can have plenty of fun customizing your pasta by adding in the different toppings!
TIPO PASTA BAR
Address: 785 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 198753
Nearest MRT: Bugis/Lavender
Tel: 8768 0785
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 1200-2200
Friday – Saturday 1200-2300
melmeleats 